


Sleeping is a Precious Commodity

by AgeofZero



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationship, TFAverse, The Fifth Act, palemates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 23:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16670380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgeofZero/pseuds/AgeofZero
Summary: Small pieces of events leading to an inevitable conclusion.Which is to say, Cloud sleeps much better with Kunsel at his back than he ever did alone.(A FF7 fanfic inspired by The Fifth Act)





	Sleeping is a Precious Commodity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yopumpkinhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yopumpkinhead/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Fifth Act](https://archiveofourown.org/works/362128) by [Sinnatious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinnatious/pseuds/Sinnatious). 



> Eh, f*ck it I'll post this too. I wrote this on a whim as a gift in return for the beautiful gift I was given by yopumpkinhead, and I'm far less shameless about writing fanfic based off a fanfic honestly.  
> Thanks Sinnatious for writing such vivid characters for me to bounce off of. And thanks Sanity for talking with me for ridiculously long periods of time about Final Fantasy.
> 
> (the alternate title is "Five Times Cloud Falls Asleep On Kunsel and One Time Where Kunsel Comes To Cloud", but this isn't a proper 5+1 and it's a dumb stupid long title lmao)
> 
> no betas but myself, I post indulgent FF fic like a true 13 year old. /thumbs up

The first time Cloud fell asleep on him, Kunsel was caught off-guard.

Well, that wasn’t quite accurate. It wasn’t that he hadn’t noticed Cloud leaning on his shoulder in a heavier-than-usual way, it wasn’t that he’d forgotten the dark bruises under the blond’s eyes (matching the ones on his face hidden by the helmet). It was only because he hadn’t expected it.

They were sitting in an oft-abandoned lounge within ShinRa Tower, after another materia practice and theory training session. They’d kept up with the routine of it after returning from Nibelheim just for some sense of normalcy, and because Kunsel had fallen so far behind in training with the materia Cloud had gifted him. But after, they tended to sit and talk. Or, rather, Kunsel talked and Cloud sometimes responded. Since Cloud hadn’t seemed terribly responsive this time around, Kunsel chatted idly about gossip, about the fanclubs, about Zack’s most recent mission, until he heard deep and heavy breathing against his shoulder. “Cloud?” He asked, turning to get a look at the blond. His eyes were closed, and he wasn’t twitching like he usually did during any brief amount of sleep. He only hesitated for a moment before calmly sending a message to Zack.

 

_< To: Zack_

_Subject: Need your help_

_Could you take over my materia training lessons this afternoon? I’m a little tied up over in the north wing lounge room. Cloud’s sleeping on me. >_

 

In hindsight, he should’ve known better than to write the last part. Two minutes later, he heard the telltale thudding of combat boots that could only be Zack running toward him. He sighed as he saw Zack’s bright eyes and excited expression.

“He’s _asleep_?!” He asked, almost shouting.

“Zack, please. He doesn’t seem like he’s having nightmares and I’d rather he get as much sleep as possible while that’s still true.” Kunsel replied, voice soft.

“I’ll ask General Sephiroth if I can clear out the area, then.” Zack grinned. “You owe me one for taking your classes.”

“The balance is still in my favor.” Kunsel quipped back, earning him a (thankfully quiet) laugh as Zack exited back the way he came. In the meantime, he settled more comfortably into the sofa they were sitting on and checked his mail.

He was briefly surprised (and terrified) when Sephiroth showed up five minutes later, like he needed to silently confirm Cloud was in fact deeply asleep without nightmares, and then he left the way he came with no further commentary. Kunsel didn’t miss the fact that Sephiroth looked just as tired as he felt, despite being the kind of SOLDIER he was. Cloud’s nightmares probably reached Sephiroth over that connection they shared thanks to Hojo.

The nap didn’t last long; Cloud woke up an hour or two later, cheeks faintly pink in embarrassment, and Kunsel had the sense to not mention it and embarrass Cloud further.

 

=============

 

The second time it happened, Kunsel was better prepared. He felt Cloud’s weight press against him more and more, so he let his voice trail off to something softer. “Hey, it’s alright. You can sleep.” He said, not sure exactly if it would help or hurt. He got a mumble in response, but nothing distinct. Kunsel pulled his helmet off and set it aside for now, where it rested with his gloves and armor. “I know I’m tired, too.” He continued, letting his voice lull Cloud to sleep.

“Feels safe.” He managed to respond, and it made Kunsel’s heart skip a beat. He knew he felt safer with Cloud’s back against his back in Hojo’s lab, but he hadn’t thought it worked both ways. Not really. He hadn’t let himself believe that Cloud at his back, talking to him through the time experiments, meant as much to Cloud as it meant to him. But maybe it did. He didn’t know what to do with that information.

“Yeah. I’ve got your back.” He promised, eventually. He kept talking in low tones, until he had Cloud asleep and breathing deeply in his lap this time. His thigh, while muscled, made a better pillow than his shoulder did. He once again messaged Zack about Cloud being asleep, and he assumed Sephiroth knew about it soon after. The world around them went quiet again, like it had last time.

He wondered if Sephiroth used this time to sleep as well, considering the fact that Cloud didn’t seem to be having any nightmares during these naps. Maybe he wasn’t deeply asleep enough to dream, or he could be too deep for dreaming. The point was, he felt safe enough to sleep with the hope of a dreamless sleep. Kunsel wanted him to have that.

 

=============

 

It becomes a sometimes routine, between the two of them. Downtime between missions sometimes led to Cloud napping on Kunsel’s shoulder or lap, depending on how tired he was. It helped, little by little, to make Cloud a little less hair-trigger around people and situations. Sephiroth could still get under his skin, but he was just as grateful for the couple hours of dreamless sleep he could grab in tandem with Cloud’s. Kunsel hoped it helped Cloud’s health, as well, to be getting some decent sleep.

At some point, perhaps the seventh or eighth time it happened, Kunsel felt his eyes drooping as well. He was well-aware of his own fatigue (sleeping had been so much harder after Nibelheim, he could admit it to himself), but he hadn’t expected to feel safe enough to fall asleep as well. He was Cloud’s pillar, his source of comfort that allowed him to sleep without worry. Once again, he found himself surprised by the fact that these things worked both ways between them. He didn’t think he could feel as comforted by Cloud’s sleeping on him as Cloud felt to be asleep on him. But he didn’t fall asleep yet. He always worried that Cloud might have a nightmare if he deviated from the routine they’d established.

The next time, he did fall asleep with his head rested on the top of Cloud’s.

 

==========

 

Genesis was of course jealous.

Kunsel was well aware of how much Cloud meant to him, and how possessive the man was of his savior and mysterious friend. It terrified him a little bit, when Genesis came by and sat across from them to read his Loveless book and occasionally glance at Kunsel with a frustrated, complicated expression in his eyes, but he took it in stride. He knew Genesis knew he couldn’t understand the situation he and Cloud had gone through together and couldn’t replace the bond they shared. He of course wanted Cloud’s time in every way, but he never intruded upon the tranquility with more than his presence. He remained quiet, a threatening presence but one that was just as concerned for Cloud as any of the rest of them. Cloud was confused when he woke up and saw Genesis reading across from them, but never questioned it.

It became just as much a sometimes routine as much as the naps themselves.

 

==============

 

Sephiroth’s concern came out differently. It wasn’t that it was more subtle, but Kunsel really noticed when Cloud left for a three-day mission and Sephiroth didn’t sleep for the duration of his absence. Their connection was getting a little bit stronger, now that they knew it was there; Kunsel probably could’ve guessed that the Silver General, who mastered everything he set his mind to, would practice and test the boundaries and limitations of the connection he knew he had with his rival and equal.

He cornered Kunsel one day in the hallways, which… Sephiroth was an intimidating man, even without knowing what he knew of Cloud’s complicated history involving him as a power-mad demigod, so Kunsel was fine with admitting he was scared. “Kunsel.” He greeted, curt and without preamble. (Kunsel tried not to panic at his first name coming out of Sephiroth’s mouth so casually. “You’ll make sure to have Strife get some sleep when he returns from his mission?”

“Of course, Sir.” He nodded. It may have sounded like a question, but they both knew it was basically an order.

“Good.” The expression in Sephiroth’s eyes was complicated, and probably a figment of Kunsel’s imagination. He thought he saw a hint of worry in the way his brows furrowed ever so slightly. The bruises under his eyes (not dark but certainly visible) made the man’s eyes seem more open, which made Kunsel think he could see brief flickers of jealousy and resignation and exhaustion better than he usually would. But he only got a brief few seconds to look before Sephiroth continued on his way through the hallway. “I’m counting on you, SOLDIER.”

It was heartening, in some ways, to know that the man cared enough about Cloud to feel the need to make sure Kunsel was going to take care of him when he returned. A step closer to humanity and a step away from the Sephiroth in Cloud’s memories. With that humanity may have come the frustration that he couldn’t do this for Cloud himself despite the late night conversations they shared or their Connection, but it was still better than the alternative.

Short though the interaction was, Kunsel still leaned heavily against the corridor wall to regain his composure.

 

===================

 

“Do you think it’s weird?” Kunsel asked Zack, one day after some training exercises. There weren’t many Firsts, and while they could’ve chosen to not participate with the Seconds and Thirds, Kunsel still felt more like a Second and Zack liked hanging out to do the easy stuff. (The stuff that came easily to him, rather.)

“Do I think what is weird?” Zack replied easily, stretching his arms with a hum of satisfaction.

“Cloud and I sleeping on one another in the lounge. I know Sephiroth gives you clearance to keep everyone away from that section of the building while he’s asleep, so… It’s weird. Isn’t it?”

Zack hmmed in thought, while Kunsel waited patiently. “It’s kinda fun to order everyone around with the General’s blessing.” He chuckled. Kunsel frowned a little at the answer. It wasn’t really answering the question he meant to ask. Zack took his silence as evidence of that, and playfully bumped his knuckles on the side of the helmet he still wore. “Hey, hey. Don’t get all locked up in your head like that. You gotta go with instincts, sometimes, remember?”

“You’re better at that than I am.” He replied without a beat, and without malice.

“Listen, I don’t think what you and Cloud have is weird.” Zack bumped his knuckles against the helmet again. “Do you have a crush on Cloud or something?”

“Huh? No.” Kunsel answered without hesitation. “Well… I--”

“No thinking! Just answer the questions quickly!” Zack chided, startling him a little into laughing. “So it’s not a crush. But you think it’s weird?”

“I like having Cloud nearby. I like helping him have some decent sleep.” He replied quickly lest Zack do more than gently bump his helmet out of friendliness. Even Angeal knew that his pupil had a mean left hook. “It’s not like I wanna kiss him, like you with Aeris.”

“No, he doesn’t seem like he’d know what to do if you did wanna.” A nod of agreement. “So why’s it weird, then?”

“Because we’re both guys. Because we don’t really feel attracted to one another but we’re close. Because we went through some rough stuff together. And now… maybe it’s weird that we hang out so much.”

“Nah.” Zack waved off the serious tone of Kunsel’s voice. “You two have always been like this. I mean, not with the sleeping, but Cloud likes talking to you. I think you make him feel like a normal person, easy as that.”

His PHS beeped, and he looked at it to see a message from Cloud. “Summoned just like that.” Kunsel found himself smiling, and he nudged Zack’s arm a little. “Time for more materia lessons. And I bet you have more one-on-one training with Angeal, too.” He laughed as he ran off, Zack’s whining falling behind him as Angeal came by to follow through and drag Zack to his own training. It didn’t really make Kunsel think things were any less weird, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing for now.

 

================

 

Kunsel knocked on Cloud’s door in the middle of the night. He was dressed in casual clothes (sweatpants and a soft shirt), barefoot and holding his arms nervously. Cloud opened the door after a few moments, surprised to see it was Kunsel at his door. “It’s late.” He said, seemingly lacking something better to start with. But he moved aside in a silent invitation for Kunsel to come in.

It was a boundary he’d never crossed before, coming into Cloud’s room. He didn’t look around out of respect, though he knew Cloud didn’t have much in the way of personal belongings. “Sorry if I woke you.” He said, slowly.

“I wasn’t asleep.” Cloud shrugged in response. “Did you need something?”

“I… I couldn’t sleep. Haven’t been sleeping well for a while.” Kunsel admitted, rubbing his arm nervously. “I keep dreaming about…” He trailed off. Cloud’s hand touched his shoulder, though only briefly. He didn’t have to say anything to understand what Kunsel couldn’t say. “I know… it’s weird. But I thought, maybe, it’d be easier to sleep if…. You were nearby. Like… like in Nibelheim.”

Cloud flinched, though it was only a little, at the mention of his hometown. Kunsel didn’t begrudge him that, not when he knew what Cloud had been through in that place. “Like when I fall asleep on you.” He asked, eventually.

“I feel safe around you, too.” Kunsel blurted out. His cheeks were red, and he knew Cloud would be able to see it despite the darkness of the room. “You can say no, but. Maybe it’d help, if I could just stay here when the nightmares are too much.”

They looked at one another for a minute, in silence. Eventually, Cloud soundlessly went back to his bed and pressed himself against the wall. He didn’t pull the blankets over himself, not yet, waiting for Kunsel to climb in as well. Kunsel ran a hand through his hair in nervousness before climbing in as well. He didn’t want to hesitate any longer, in case Cloud decided it was a bad idea.

It was awkward. They weren’t used to lying in a bed together, perhaps not used to sharing a bed at all with anyone, and it took a few minutes to adjust their limbs comfortably in the small bed. It really wasn’t meant for two people, but… Kunsel shifted his arm just so, and Cloud slipped his leg between Kunsel’s, and suddenly everything clicked into place. It was warm, it was intimate. Kunsel looked up into Cloud’s glowing eyes, and he was close enough for the glow of his eyes to light up enough of Cloud’s face to make his features clearer in the dark. It felt safe. Cloud averted his gaze after a minute, and eventually closed his eyes, but they felt safe together. There was no denying it. He didn’t have to say anything to make things feel safe, or make it okay that they were basically cuddling. Kunsel closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn't be strange in the morning, and soon found himself asleep.

 

===============

 

When he woke up in the morning, with Cloud’s sleeping face close to his, and their limbs tangled together, he felt a warmth in his chest. He had no idea what the protocol was between two people who’d gone through what they’d been through together, no matter how briefly, but they could find a way to figure it out together, if it needed to be figured out at all. He didn’t want to ruin this safety between them. Most importantly, he never wanted Cloud to feel alone or unsafe.


End file.
